Are Steph Curry’s new Under Armour sneakers… good?

A small step in the right direction for Under Amour’s design team.

When Steph Curry and Under Armour dropped the Curry 2 Low almost exactly a year ago, the Internet had a field day with the shoe’s futuristic yet somehow still geriatric design. In fact, it may have been the most lampooned sneaker design of the year. Ultimately, this led to underwhelming sales of the style, and the more upscale UA Curry Lux in “Oxblood leather” didn’t fare much better.

Generally speaking, Under Armour has had a tough go at it over the past 12 months. It’s tried to get in on the fashion game by partnering with young, talented menswear designers like Tim Coppens, but that hasn’t stopped its stock price nosediving from over $100 in late 2015 to just over $20 today. In February, its CEO, Kevin Plank, came out in support of President Trump by stating he was “a real asset for the country.” To this, Steph Curry himself replied, “I agree if you remove the ‘et'” and stated he would leave Under Armour if he felt their values didn’t align.

Last week, however, Plank came out against Trump’s decision to pull the United States out of the Paris climate accord, which isn’t exactly the bravest or boldest move right now but is at least a minor step in the right direction. The company made another positive stride last week by unveiling the Curry 4 sneaker, which the 2016 MVP wore while leading the Warriors to a 2-0 Finals lead over the Cavs. Most agree that the 4s are a vast improvement design-wise on the 3s and 2s, and some have even gone so far as to call the new sneakers “good”.

Photo: Twitter/ @NickDePaula

Like many new-age sneakers today, the Curry 4s have a sock-like upper that makes them lightweight (and, we can only speculate, insanely comfortable). And unlike the Transformers-esque multi-piece design of the Curry 2, the Curry 4 is remarkably streamlined, featuring minimal detailing around the upper and a subtle speckled midsole. (It also features the not-so-flattering Under Armour logo only on the heel.)

Now, the Curry 4s are by no means the best-designed basketball shoes on the market—not even close. And only time will tell whether or not this improved design will lead to improved sales or higher Under Armour stock prices. But when compared to the signature sneakers of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and LeBron James, Steph Curry’s signature sneaker is now at least in the same league. And we can unequivocally say we’d rather lace up a pair of Curry 4s than those $500 Big Baller Brand kicks any day of the week.